Writing

The most difficult skill to develop among students learning English in Kazakhstan is writing. The main reason for this is because their native language of Russian is Slavic based and English is Germanic based with a heavy emphasis on Latin. Students must make the very difficult transition from a colorful, free flowing language into a language that requires precision and simplicity. The challenge is not only teaching structure, but requiring the students to think in English. The task is daunting at first.

The following course was developed over a series of three years and is presented in a format that favorably suits the needs of Kazakhstani students. The focus is on providing the basic format in which English can be easily communicated in written form. Furthermore, emphasis is given to practical training by utilizing actual TOEFL essay questions. Students learn how to draft clear essays that native speakers will understand.

Only a few sample essays are provided because plagiarism is an accepted part of the culture. The teacher has the responsibility of helping students to independently analyze and produce their own work. Experience has demonstrated that the trial and error method of allowing students write and then correcting the mistakes is quite effective. Being direct and clearly showing what is right and wrong expedites the learning process.

The techniques given in this course represent only one style of writing. Teachers may wish to emphasize different approaches based on their specific field of training. The primary objective is for students to gain exposure to the traditional five paragraph essay format Americans are required to learn. Students who regularly come to class and actively participate see gradual improvement in their skills and in turn develop their own unique style.

After teaching this class eight times, I have seen predictable patterns. The students complain that American writing is “too simple” and lacks the creativity found in Russian. They are often shocked by the bluntness of constructive criticism, something they are not accustomed to hearing. Nonetheless, at the end of the course, students realize that mastery of writing leads to improved fluency and a larger vocabulary. Several students who completed this class went on to rank high on the essay portion of the national exam as well as the TOEFL essay section. In addition, teachers are passing along these ideas to their students in local schools. Writing skills are necessary as Kazakhstan continues to develop in the global economy. By placing great emphasis on learning this skill the Peace Corps succeeds in its goal of moving the country forward by providing practical training that can be used in the marketplace.

The author would like to know what impact this resource is having on the development of Kazakhstan. Comments, suggestions, or criticisms concerning Writing are welcome. Please contact the author at either of the two permanent addresses:

Owen Adams

P.O. Box 390760

Snellville, GA 30039 or e-mail: tadams3485@hotmail.com

(Please do not add this address to a list serve)

Sincerely,

Owen Adams

Peace Corps Volunteer

Kazakhstan (2005-2008)

Group 17

Writing

Syllabus

Owen Adams – Peace Corps Volunteer

Pavlodar State Pedagogical Institute

Fall 2007

Overview: The purpose of this course is to give students and teachers the basic writing skills necessary to communicate in English.

Goal: Upon completion of the course diligent students will have a firm grasp of how to write essays in accordance with American standards.

Format: The course will be a combination of lecture and student participation. Students will be required to actively write at least one essay per week. Actual TOEFL questions are used in order to provide practical training.

Text: Students will need to print off a copy of the materials available in electronic form. The worksheets should be put into a notebook and brought to each class.

Journal: Each student should purchase and bring to class a writing book with lined paper. This journal should be kept throughout the semester as a way to gauge progress. The teacher should collect the journals at the end of each class, carefully note mistakes, and then return the journal promptly.

Schedule: Section I The Formal Rules of Writing

Section II The Basic Structure of American essays

Section III The Introduction

Section IV Body Paragraphs

Section VI Conclusions

Section VII Identifying TOEFL Question Types

Grades: Performance in the class will be measured by the essays turned in each week. There is no final exam.

Recommendation: Attendance in this class is a must. Each lesson builds on the next and students who miss a class lose the value of having the teacher explain the common mistakes. The material covered in the lesson cannot be easily picked-up from a classmate.

Basic Lesson Plan Beginning with Section III

One of the most effective ways to teach this course is to spend the majority of each lesson focusing on in-class writing. Simply select a question from the TOEFL list and start with the introduction. Students should write the introduction while the teacher walks around the room checking the answers. When the majority of the group is finished, ask at random for answers. Write the sentences on the board for the class to see. Then, have the other students analyze what the teacher wrote on the board. By showing what is acceptable, unacceptable, or a better way to write the sentence, students gain firsthand practical experience in evaluating their work. The teacher should be very critical of students’ writing. This approach may seem harsh, but it really works.

Two weeks should be spent on each section, i.e., introductions, conclusions, and finally, body paragraphs. Nailing down the introduction gives students a foundation to build upon. Towards the end of the class, students should be timed and placed under the same conditions as the actual TOEFL exam.

Section I. The Formal Rules of Writing

The following rules should be followed in order to strengthen the quality of your writing.

1. Tell the reader at the beginning of the essay what the essay is about. Writing should not be a mystery. The first sentence is the most important in the essay because it answers the reader’s question “What are you trying to say?”

2. Write the essay about one specific topic or theme

3. Keep one idea to a paragraph

4. Be clear, simple, and concise

5. Keep paragraphs to no more that 5-8 sentences

6. Keep sentences to no more than 20-25 words

7. Do not try to say too much

8. Avoid contractions such as “can’t, don’t, won’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t and shouldn’t”

9. Leave out personal feelings – academic writing should be cold and objective – thus, do not use the word “feel”

10. Do not begin sentences with “and” or “because” – this is acceptable in newspapers and magazines due to space limitations

11. Do not use etc. Etc. means “I don’t know or else I would have written it.”

12. Do not use pronouns, especially “I” and “You”

13. Do not use the following words: “thing, get, or got”

14. Do not use absolutes such as “all, everything, or always” because the reader needs to find only one exception to the absolute to defeat the author’s argument.

15. Avoid duplication of words. Try to find synonyms rather that simply repeating the same word over and over again

16. Do not use “a lot of” – use “numerous, a multitude of, a plethora of, a number of” instead

17. Avoid “Moreover” and “Also” – use “In addition” or “Furthermore” instead

18. Avoid “Nowadays” and use “At the present time,” or “At present” instead

Note: Keep in mind that there are several different types of writing. Newspapers frequently use pronouns largely because of space restrictions. In addition, these rules are for formal writing. In informal writing the rules are relaxed.

Section II. The Basic Structure of American essays

Essay Outline

Working Title:

Introduction:

Attention Grabbing First sentence:

Roadmap:

Set-up Transition Sentence:

Paragraph #1 Main Idea:

Sentence 1: Topic Sentence

Sentence 2: Supporting

Sentence 3: Supporting

Sentence 4: Supporting

Sentence 5: Transition into the next paragraph

Paragraph #2 Main Idea:

Sentence 1: Topic Sentence

Sentence 2: Supporting

Sentence 3: Supporting

Sentence 4: Supporting

Sentence 5: Transition into the next paragraph

Paragraph #3 Main Idea:

Sentence 1: Topic Sentence

Sentence 2: Supporting

Sentence 3: Supporting

Sentence 4: Supporting

Sentence 5: Transition into the Conclusion

Conclusion: What do you want the reader to remember?